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161. 



PTEROPHORUS SPILODACTYLUS. 



The Wormwood Plume. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Alucitadae Leach, Ptero- 

 phorites Lai. 



Type of the Genus Alucita pentadactyla Linn. 



Ptkropiiorus Geoff., Lat., Fab., Leach. — Alucita Hub., Haw. — Pha- 

 Isena (Alucita) Linn. 



Antenna: inserted close to the eyes on the crown of the head, 

 setaceous, composed of numerous elongated joints covered with 

 long scales above, sometimes hairy beneath (fig. 1 a) j basal 

 joint robust subovate, entirely clothed with scales (1). 

 MaxillcE very long and slender (3). 



Labial palpi' fihorter than the head, slender, slightly curved up- 

 ward, 3-jointed, 1st joint robust, broadest at its base, 2nd not 

 so long, somewhat attenuated, 3rd as long as the 2nd, but more 

 slender (4 &4 a). 

 Head globose. Eyes covering the side of the head (7, the head in pro- 

 file). Wings extended horizontally when at rest, anterior composed 

 of 2, posterior of 3 rays, the abdominal one sometimes having a lobe 

 on the internal side. Abdomen long, slender, linear in the males, 

 subfusiform in the females. Legs long, hinder pair the longest. 

 C0CCB8 very long. Thighs rather short. Tibiae, anterior 7wt so long 

 as the basal joint of the tarsus, having a flat process or bundle of 

 scales on the internal side, 2nd pair terminated by two long spurs, 

 3rd pair very long, being furnished with 2 pair of spurs. Tarsi 

 5-jointed, basal joint the longest. Claws venj minute (8, afore leg). 

 Larvfe with \6feet, sparingly covered with hair. 

 Pupae pilose, suspended by a thread. 



Spilodactylus Nob. 



White, inclining to straw-colour. Antennae subochraceous be- 

 neath. Eyes blackish. Head thorax and abdomen sometimes 

 rather darker straw-colour. Wings, anterior with the costal 

 margin and the base pale fuscous, a rhomboidal spot at the 

 middle of the costa extending obliquely across the wing, in- 

 terrupted by the nervure, fuscous 3 2 spots near the apex upon 

 the superior plume and 2 or 3 upon the inferior one of the same 

 colour : inferior wings pale fuscous, variegated with whitish ; 4 

 anterior legs above, and thighs of posterior pair fuscous. Be- 

 neath white, fuscous at the base of the wings and spotted or va- 

 riegated with the same colour towards their extremities. 



In the Cabinets of Mr. Spnrshall and the Author. 



